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Syria: The New Battleground for Influence and Investment

Liliane Mokbel, 12/06 12:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

European Union Saudi Arabia Syria economy reconstruction Lebanon Qatar

The international community appears determined to reintegrate Syria both economically and politically after decades of isolation. This momentum stands in stark contrast to neighboring Lebanon, which fears that Syria’s reconstruction will monopolize international attention, pushing its own geopolitical and economic challenges into the ...

Israeli Forces Arrest Hamas Members in Operation in Southern Syria

This is Beirut, 12/06 11:30 - Reading : less than a minute

Hamas Israel Syria

Israeli soldiers arrested several Hamas members during a nighttime operation in southern Syria, the Israeli army announced Thursday, as reported by Israeli media. The Hamas members were captured by reservists from the Alexandroni Brigade in the village of Beit Jinn, located about 6 kilometers from the Israeli border, outside the buffer zone ...

Global Forced Displacement Dips Slightly but Remains at Record Levels

This is Beirut, 12/06 10:55 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

United Nations Refugees Syria

The number of people forcibly displaced from their homes worldwide has dropped slightly from a record high but remains "untenably high," the United Nations said Thursday. A record 123.2 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced from their homes at the end of 2024, said UNHCR, the UN refugee agency. But that figure dropped to 122.1 million ...

Three Alawites Killed as Violence Flares Near Syrian-Lebanese Border

This is Beirut, 11/06 11:30 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Alawites Syria

Three Alawite civilians were killed in western Syria overnight, hours after an attack on government forces killed at least one officer, a war monitor said on Wednesday. Syrian authorities said four civilians were targeted by unknown attackers in the Tal Kalakh area near the Lebanese border, killing two of them. Since the offensive that toppled ...

Syria Decrees Full Body Swimwear for Women on Public Beaches

This is Beirut, 10/06 18:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Syria Ahmad al-Sharaa Women's Rights Human Rights

Syria's new Islamist authorities said on Tuesday that women going to public beaches must wear burkinis or other "decent" clothes that cover the body, giving some private venues an exemption. In the largely conservative country, few women wear swimsuits that reveal their bodies. Six months after Islamist-led forces toppled longtime Syrian ruler ...

Plan to Repatriate Syrian Refugees in Lebanon Finalized (Asharq al-Awsat)

This is Beirut, 09/06 12:05 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Lebanon Syria Ahmad al-Sharaa Refugees Tarek Mitri UNHCR

The Lebanese ministerial committee tasked with resolving the Syrian refugee crisis has finalized a comprehensive repatriation plan, which it intends to present to the Cabinet for approval in the coming days, Asharq al-Awsat reported on Monday. Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri, who heads the committee, said the first phase of the voluntary return ...

Syria Monitor Says One Killed in Israeli Strike near Buffer Zone

This is Beirut, 08/06 18:15 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Syria Israel SOHR

Israel struck southern Syria on Sunday, with a war monitor reporting one killed and the Israeli military saying it had targeted a member of Palestinian militant group Hamas. In the wake of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad's overthrow in December, Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes and moved forces into the buffer zone that has separated ...

Coordinated Jailbreak: 19 Detainees Escape from Ghazir Police Station

This is Beirut, 08/06 12:30 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Internal Security Forces Ghazir Syria Egypt Lebanon

Nineteen detainees escaped from the Ghazir police station in the Keserwan district just after midnight on Saturday-Sunday, in what authorities describe as a coordinated and premeditated jailbreak. According to security sources, the group includes 13 Syrians, 5 Lebanese nationals and 1 Egyptian. The detainees reportedly breached the facility’s ...

Syrian Authorities Announce Closure of Notorious Desert Camp

This is Beirut, 07/06 15:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Syria Rukban Camp Bashar al-Assad displaced

A notorious desert refugee camp in Syria has closed after the last remaining families returned to their areas of origin, Syrian authorities said on Saturday. The Rukban camp in Syria's desert was established in 2014, at the height of Syria's civil war, in a de-confliction zone controlled by the US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group, ...

Visas for Syria: Lebanese Citizens Exempt from Fees for a Six-Month Stay

This is Beirut, 07/06 14:50 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanon Syria visas

In a new directive published on Saturday, the Syrian Ministry of the Interior announced a revision of its visa issuance policy, introducing different pricing based on travelers' nationalities. This measure, motivated by diplomatic considerations and bilateral relations, redefines the entry conditions for many foreign nationals. Among the ...

EU official says 175 mn euro Syria recovery package 'clear message' of support

This is Beirut, 05/06 12:45 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Damascus European Union Syria

Visiting EU Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Suica said Thursday that a 175 million euro package for war-torn Syria was a "clear message" of support for its reconstruction. Suica announced the package in Damascus Wednesday, saying it would focus on sectors including energy, education, health, and agriculture, helping rebuild Syria's ...

Syria Monitor Says 13 Alawites Killed by Security Forces

This is Beirut, 04/06 23:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Syria Alawite Community SOHR

Syrian forces shot dead eight members of the Alawite minority at a checkpoint on Wednesday, a war monitor said, after reporting that five men were found dead following their detention. Since the fall of longtime Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad, the Alawite community which the deposed president hails from has been the target of many attacks, ...

syria